Elastic support for flat feet.



A. DUSTERWALD.

ELASTIC SUPPORT FOR FLAT FEET.

' APPLIC ATlON FILED AUG.30| 1916.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

INVENTom A. DUSTERWAL. o

WMWQM UNITED s AEGIDIUS DtisTnnwALn, or HALLE-ON-THESAALE, GERMANY.

IELASTIC SUPPORT FOR FLAT FEET.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Iil'dlitl. 2%, llgllti.

. A Application filed August 30, 1916. Serial No. 117,743.

- To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, Ancimus Diis'rna WALD, a subject. of the King of Prussia, and resident of Halle-on-the-Saale, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Elastic Supports vior Flat Feet, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact specification.

The subject of the present invention is an elastic lnsertion support for fiat feet with a pocket which serves for the recep- 'plate and secured from slipping out by a relatively rigid sole plate provided with a re-curved retaining edge.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 1s partially side elevation, and

, partially a longitudinal section thereof;

Fig; 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the I support through its pocket; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the plate for holding the rubber tubes; Fig. 5 is a detail viewof the rigid sole plate.

Upon a fiat sole A is placed a suitably cut pocket (1 of leather or the like, composed of two halves sewn one upon the other. The lower part of the pocket is flat and its upper part arched, so that it projects up under the inner side of the foot and slopes downward from that'point increscent shape to the lower half. The pocket or is adapted to receive several elastic rubber tubes 6, the arrangement of which transversely to the longitudinal axis of the foot is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. These rubber tubes are cut off vertically at one end and sloping at their other end corresponding to the arched form-of the pocket a. They are attached to one another by means of a string in or the like and are secured in the pocket at by means of the metal The sole A is provided beneath the lower surface of the pocket a with a metal plate e (Fig. 5) which has-for its purpose to give to the entire device a firm support and a certain rigidity to insure it sitting well in the shoe.

The metal plate 6 upon which the retaining plate a is riveted is, as shown in the drawing, bent up at a right angle at the edge corresponding to the inner side of the foot at the point e, and is thereby strengthened. Moreover the lip-turned flange 6 on the metal plate 6 which lies adjacent to the vertically cut ends of the'rubber tubes is intended to prevent the escape or the sidewise displacement of these tubes. The metal plate 6 lies between two leather or fabric layers f of which the upper one forms the underside of the pocket a and also together with the plate 8 forms the sole A, the outline of which is adapted to the form of the foot.

The flat foot support thus composed forms a soft, excellent elastic support for the foot in place of a rigid support. By the compression of the tubes 6 through the tread of the foot the air is pressed out of the tubes and when the foot is raised it is again drawn in. If the rubber tubes lose their elasticity in the course of time they can always be replaced by new ones at slight expense, inasmuch as the upper side of the pocket a (Figs. 1 and 3) can be lifted after cutting the seams, the old tube, be removed and a new one inserted.

What I claim is:

1. An elastic support for flat feet, consisting of a sole plate, an arched pocket fastened on the upper side of said sole plate and elastic rubber tubes within said pocket, said tubes being cut off vertically at one end and sloping at their other end, said sole plate being provided with an upright flange serving. as a stop for the said vertically cut oii ends of the rubber tubes, substantially as described.

2. An elastic support for flat feet, consisting of a sole plate, an arched pocket fastened on the upper side of said sole plate, elastic rubber tubes within said pocket and a metal plate fixed to said sole plate and arranged to hold the rubber tubes in place within the pocket, substantially as described.

3. An elastic support for flat feet, consisting of a sole plate, a covering therefor,

in the free space ofthe pocket around said I rubber tubes, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 10th day of August,

1916, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

AEGIDIUS DUSTERWALD.

Witnesses RUDOLPH FRICKE, R. H. SRAGLE. 

